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Auto Electrician salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for an auto electrician is $146,000 per annum, before tax, up $30,600 since 2018.
- Pay moves with the sector and the roster as much as with the qualification: mine sites, fleet workshops and FIFO roles usually pay above a suburban garage, and overtime, callouts and penalty rates add to a base wage.
- Work that needs extra licences, such as automotive air conditioning or LPG, tends to attract more, while a small workshop job on ordinary hours sits at the lower end.
- Enterprise agreements and the relevant award set the floor, so it is worth asking how overtime and on-call work are paid before accepting a role.
The median salary rose by $30,600 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
How to negotiate a higher auto electrician salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time auto electrician salary is $146,000; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Auto Electricians are on the national skills shortage list, so employers are more likely to move on price to keep or attract someone in a role they're struggling to fill.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Hand and power tool work and Reading plans and specifications tend to command a premium over general auto electrician experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Auto Electrician salary questions
How much do auto electricians earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for an auto electrician is $146,000 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is auto electrician pay rising or falling?
The median auto electrician salary is up $30,600 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
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Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.